THE side which travelled about as well as a bad Romanian wine last season now looks more at ease away from home than Judith Chalmers.

Everton arrived at Fratton Park on December 13 last year still searching for their first away victory of the season and having chalked up only three successes in the previous 15 outings.

They won that game - but it was the only victory on the road all season.

It puts this season's start - and yesterday's result - into perspective. Having already secured their fourth win of the campaign after the 1-0 triumph over Middlesbrough, the Blues knew before yesterday's game that, whatever the outcome, they would remain in third.

This match was about putting daylight between themselves and the sides below and maintaining the momentum which has been building so impressively.

Maintain it they did. They fully deserved the victory, provided by Tim Cahill's 81st-minute headed goal.

The fact this was Portsmouth's first home defeat since February underlines exactly how well the Blues are performing.

David Moyes seems to have discovered the perfect balance between defensive resolve and attacking threat away from home.

They have conceded just one goal in four away games. And they have frustrated their hosts at Selhurst Park, Old Trafford, the City of Manchester Stadium and now Fratton Park.

A 1-0 scoreline suggests a tight game. But it doesn't tell the whole story.

David Weir turned back the clock to produce a defensive display reminiscent of his finest displays in a blue jersey.

It should have provided the springboard for a far more emphatic result.

But Everton squandered a host of good chances, only securing the winner via another cracking setpiece nine minutes from time.

There may have been a hint of good fortune about the refereeing decision which awarded the Blues a free-kick midway inside the Portsmouth half after Yakubu had challenged Tony Hibbert for the ball.

But there was nothing lucky about the goal. Lee Carsley produced yet another pin-point set piece to pick out Cahill at the back post.

With the Pompey defence more preoccupied with the imposing presence of Duncan Ferguson, Cahill was able to dart in and power home a header into the far corner of the net.

He didn't get shirty this time. He didn't have chance before being mobbed by his team-mates.

The sight of all 10 outfield players joining in the celebration helps explain the biggest difference in the Blues this season.

They are all pulling in the same direction. They are working for each other, making sacrifices for each other and Pompey simply could not live with them.

But while a lot has been made of the side's workrate and tenacity in the opening weeks of the season, not enough credit has been given to the quality of their football.

A side does not climb to third in the table because of effort, guile and brawn alone.

The loss of Tomasz Radzinski and Wayne Rooney led to a misconception that the Blues had been left with a lack of craft. But such worries have proved unfounded.

Thomas Gravesen is the key playmaker. But he is far from the only one in a midfield which possesses far more footballing ability than it is given credit for.

They demonstrated that yesterday by out-playing a Portsmouth side which boasted a midfield including crowd-pleasers such as Patrik Berger and Eyal Berkovic.

Moyes shuffled his pack for the midweek trip to Bristol City, providing six players with the opportunity to force their way back into the first team on a regular basis.

And had the side built on their 2-0 half-time lead, rather than edging through into the third round via a penalty shoot-out, yesterday's line-up could have been different.

Instead, the manager made just one enforced change from the team which over-came Middlesbrough at Goodison with a fine, battling performance last weekend.

Leon Osman, who suffered a groin strain in the opening half at Ashton Gate, did not make it despite returning to training on Saturday.

His place was taken by Cahill, whose bustling no-nonsense approach and willingness to bomb forward makes him an ideal fit in the versatile formation Moyes is favouring.

It asks a lot of the lone striker, which is why Marcus Bent (right) was not fit for the Carling Cup. But the former Ipswich man was back in the side yesterday after shaking off a thigh strain.

And he produced the kind of marauding performance which under-lines why he has become such a key player for the Blues already.

Away from home, it is vitally important that when you play the ball forward, it sticks. Duncan Ferguson struggled to fulfil that role at Bristol.

Bent had far more joy yesterday. And it gave the midfield the confidence to support the lone striker.

Cahill, Kevin Kilbane and Steve Watson were not shy in getting forward.

But despite dominating the opening half, the Blues had nothing to show for their efforts at the interval.

Watson went closest, ghosting in at the back post to guide a Kevin Kilbane cross onto the near post in the 13th minute.

But Pompey also had to be thankful to Dejan Stefanovic for clearing off the line when it seemed a certainty Bent would grab his third Everton goal, while Shaka Hislop did well to gather a close-range David Weir header.

Yet Everton still did not do as much damage as their running off the ball and the quality of their crossing promised.

It did not get to the players, though. There is a confidence in their football which ensures they do not panic when they fail to take their chances.

They just kept plugging away. And it was that constant pressure which eventually broke Portsmouth.